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2013 NMTC Submissions Open

Oct 22, 2012

The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center is now accepting music theater works applications to be considered for development during the 2013 National Music Theater Conference. Music theater works from applicants for the National Music Theater Conference will be accepted with postmarks from through Tuesday, December 4th, 2012. Early submissions are strongly encouraged.

The National Music Theater Conference, led by Artistic Director Paulette Haupt, supports the development of all styles and genres of music theater, including operas and hybrid works. The authors of selected works will be awarded a two week residency during June or July 2013, including an intensive rehearsal process and four script-in-hand public readings. A stipend, housing, meals, and transportation are provided for each writer selected for the residency.

The National Music Theater Conference aims to provide a supportive and challenging environment in which emerging and established creative artists can take risks in order to refine and illuminate their work’s vision during its formative stages. Since its inception, NMTC has developed more than 100 works.

Open Submissions is a key element of the National Music Theater Conference mission to develop diverse voices and new works for the American Stage, requiring neither agent submission nor previous experience. The O'Neill typically receives around 150 scripts for consideration in NMTC. The submission fee is $35.00 USD and covers the costs of the process. Both original and adapted works are accepted; written rights to any material not in the public domain must be included with application and materials submitted. Projects that have been produced by a professional company must receive approval before applying.

Paulette Haupt is the co-founder and Artistic Director of the National Music Theater Conference since its inception in 1978. Ms. Haupt notes, “the open submission process at the O'Neill Theater Center speaks to the heart of our mission and to the artists we support at the Conference. So many of the works that have been developed here were written by creative talents who had no agent representation, and were it not for this policy we would likely have overlooked extremely deserving projects in need of development.”

Recent successes from the National Music Theater Conference include Son of a Gun, music and lyrics by Don Chaffer, book by Chris Cragin and Don Chaffer, with additional music and lyrics by Lori Chaffer, developed at the 2011 NMTC, which is being produced by Firebone Theatre at the Beckett Theatre from November 1 – November 18, 2012; Clear, music and lyrics by Paul Oakley Stovall, additional music by Stew, developed at the 2010 NMTC, which received a special concert reading at About Face Theatre from October 11 – 13, 2012; and Tales of the City, libretto by Jeff Whitty, music and lyrics by Jake Shears and John Garden, based on Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City and More Tales of the City, developed at the 2009 NMTC, which enjoyed an acclaimed run at the American Conservatory Theatre from May 18 – July 31, 2011.

The O’Neill continues to build an endowment to support the Open Submission Process. The Fund was initiated in 2006 with donations made in honor of O’Neill playwright Wendy Wasserstein. Interest income helps support the submission and selection process. For more information about the O’Neill’s Wendy Wasserstein Fund, please call (860) 443-5378 ext. 213 or email theaterlives@theoneill.org.